Senior European and Middle Eastern diplomats are scheduled to meet in Istanbul on Friday for discussions initiated by Turkey, according to a source within the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Participants will include representatives from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt, alongside leading European officials.

Foreign ministers from the E3 grouping: Britain, France and Germany will meet their counterparts from the recently established R4 group. According to the Turkish source, the agenda includes the Palestinian issue, the latest developments in Yemen and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as diplomatic efforts to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end.